Past News & Announcements
Massachusetts Towns Support UMass Amherst Tick Testing Program
November 2015: The Laboratory of Medical Zoology (LMZ) at the University of Massachusetts Amherst is partnering with a group of Massachusetts towns to offer tick testing services at a cost of $30 per tick to the town. Under this co-pay model of tick testing, 100 residents from each of the participating towns will pay a co-pay of $10-$15 per test. Participating towns include all of Barnstable County along with six towns from Franklin County: Charlemont, Conway, Hawley, Heath, Leyden and Shelburne. In June a one-time state subsidy ended which paid for 100 ticks being tested from each of 32 participating towns. Read more...
Xu and Rich Discover New Genus and Two Species of Beetles
October 2015: Zootaxa recently reported on the discovery made by Microbiology faculty members, Guang Xu and Stephen Rich, of a new genus and two new species of beetles. Read more...
5th Annual Life Sciences Graduate Research Symposium
October 2015: On Friday, November 20th, the 5th Annual Life Sciences Graduate Research Symposium will be held from 9:00 a.m. to 6:00 p.m. in room 610 of the Life Sciences Laboratory. The symposium will feature student talks, a poster session and awards. Read more...
Tovar Recipient American Society for Microbiology Award
October 2015: Recent Microbiology graduate, Dorothy Tovar, has been selected as a 2015 award recipient of the American Society for Microbiology Undergraduate Research Capstone Program. The capstone program's goal is to fulfill the later stages of undergraduate professional development for underrepresented minority students. The awardees must demonstrate superior research project involvement and knowledge, commitment to research, and academic achievement. Dr. Wilmore Webley mentored Ms. Tovar on her research project, "Delta-Tocotrienol Reduces Susceptibility to Chlamydial Infection in Macrophages and Lung Epithelial Cells." Read more...
Lovley Among "World's Leading Scientific Minds"
September 2015: Derek Lovley, Distinguished University Professor, was one of seven faculty members from the College of Natural Sciences at UMass identified by Thomson Reuters as Highly Cited Researchers for 2015 for authoring publications that are among the most influential in their fields. Thomson Reuters compilers sought to identify "some of the best and brightest scientific minds of our time." The other CNS researchers from CNS were food scientists Eric Decker and David Julian McClements, chemist Vincent Rotello, polymer scientist Thomas Russell, soil chemist Baoshan Xing of the Stockbridge School of Agriculture and astronomer Mauro Giavaliso.
New Microbiology Department Head
September 2015: Steven Sandler has been named Microbiology Department Head effective September 1, 2015.
Lopes Named Associate Dean
September 2015: John Lopes, former Microbiology Department Head, has been named Associate Dean for Operations and Graduate Programs in the College of Natural Sciences effective September 1, 2015. He served as Microbiology Department Head from September 1, 2007 - August 31, 2015.
Researchers to Examine Hydrothermal Venting of Recent Volcanic Eruption
August 2015: Professor James Holden and Ph.D. student Begum Topcuoglu will examine the aftermath of an April 2015 volcanic eruption on Axial Seamount and its hydrothermal venting in the Pacific Ocean August 14-29. The cruise will use the research submarines Jason II and Sentry to map and sample the eruption site at a depth of 1500 m. Details and daily updates can be found at axial2015.blogspot.com. The expedition is funded by grants from theNational Science Foundation and the Gordon and Betty Moore Foundation.
Giffen Travels to South Africa to Participate in NSF Program for Undergraduates
August 2015: Samantha Giffen, a senior Microbiology and Public Health major, travelled to tne Limpopo Province of South Africa where she participatied in a National Science Foundation program for undergraduates. Many people in this region drink untreated groundwater. Fluoride, present as a natural material in geologic formations, is released from sediment into the groundwater, resulting in levels too high for human health simply from the geochemistry of the aquifers. As part of the program Ms. Giffen and her colleagues tested ceramic filters created by local potters with fluoride meters to gauge their effectiveness in taking fluoride out of groundwater. The objective of the project was to create something that people in the community will adopt and use. Read more...
Burand Testifies Before the Joint Committee on Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture
July 2015: Dr. John Burand, Professor of Microbiology, testified on Beacon Hill before the Joint Committee on the Environment, Natural Resources and Agriculture. The meeting, held on Tuesday, July 28, was a bee oversight hearing focusing mainly on colony collapse disorder and related legislation that has been proposed. Dr. Burand gave a presentation on the impact of the bee colony collapse. Read more...
Holden Promoted to Professor
July 2015: Microbiology faculty member, Dr. James Holden, has been promoted to the rank of Professor effective September 1, 2015.
Tovar Recognized as 21st Century Leader
May 2015: Dorothy Tovar, Microbiology Class of 2015, was recognized at the UMass Undergraduate Commencement as one of 10 students chosen to be 21st Century Leaders. This award recognizes graduating seniors who have demonstrated exemplary standards of achievement, initiative and social awareness and are made possible by the generous financial support of the UMass Amherst Alumni Association.
Department of Microbiology